Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-12
SKILLED IN FIGURES.
A PROFESSION IN WHICH THERE
is STILL ROOM.
Accountants and Their Ways and Their
Manuers''-The Accountant Not to be
COMPOUNDED with tn. Bookkeeper.
The Pay That Some Accountants Draw.

Special Correspondence
PHIIApEL PIuA Feb There is atleast ona
profession that is not overcrowded, one where
there is room on all the rungs of the ladder
accountanCv | do not mean bookkeeping
FOR the too are as distinct the army and
navy The accountant is the result Of the
evolution Of the houkkecPcr. To most people
the terms accountant, bonkkeeper and auditor
are almost Synonymous, but the professional
accountant would not allow YOU to call him
a bookkceper, and would not employ the or
binary Office clerk for an assistant, the reason
for this being that man may I've n book
keeper. hut II hookkeepcr for only one line of
business, while the accountant must know
the debit and credit systems Of all business.
Owing to the peculiar nature Of our bank
ruptCy and similar laws, the accountant has
not iourIShed in this country. and lac is found
in some few of the larger cities only. New
York has about seventeen, one half OF whom.
probably, have hung out their shingles DIR
ing the past year. Boston may have half "A
dozen. and Chicago three. But the many de-
falcations and other accidents" which have
occurred In our financial institutions seem 10
render necessary the miuistlation OF the
scrutinizinG angel, and new recruits for the
honor are constantly appearing.
The accountant is an smigraut from Great
Britain, where his brethren have formed
themselves into "A chartered society with en-
trance examinations, fellowship. rules and
regulations, etc. Consequently the business
here is mainly carried on by Englishmen and
Scotchmen, though in its present onward
march it is being joined by some Yankee
recruits, graduates from the counting house
stool As a training school the counting
house or business Office is not regarded in
very favorable light by the professional &C
Countant He savS that a bOokkeeper in the
dry goods trade NAV know the cash book and
ledger OF that business well as he does hi.
employers bewhiskered Countenance but il
the same bookkeeper be taken up bodily and
Ilaced on a stool in the office of beer brewery
he will be as useless as the veriest tyro and
will have to learn his business all over again.
The accountant finds his services most in
demand by insurance companies. breweries,
corporations. bankrupt firms. assignees, etc
He Is also called upon 10 prepare balancs
sheets, profit and loss accounts, financial
statements, etc. His work is charged for at
30 much day, though he sometimes makes a
contract. Sometimes a suspected clerk Is
given n short vacation, or is sent away on
some small matter Of busiress; then the &c.
countant is told to turn his experienced eve
loose on the books. and if there be the slight.
est evidence of their being crooked he will
discover it He knows just where TO look.
and although it may take him months TO
prepare detailed, lnfallible statement Of his
findings, only few hours are needei for him
to decide whether the matter warrants fur.
ther inquiry.
The incomes made by accountants are in
some cases very considerable know Of one
gentleman who for three months work reu.
dered the state Of New York by himself and
his assistants, sent in a bill for SO, 600; and
one has testified in civil suit that his net
profits for the year were &, 600 or &, 900. be
didn't know which. The clerks are paid from
SO to $50 week and must be better men
than first rate hookkeepers. Hitherto how
ever, the accountant has generally done his
own clerking. and carried his Office in his hat;
but now the business is on larger scale.
more clerks are needed, and it is not a bad
employment for young men The course of
training lasts about five years, and at the end
of this time they would know their business
pretty well and would be receiving q living
salary.
ue "pik II ndFu, COnlinlilS, lacking III
variety; and good eyesight, clear brain, and
steady nerves are requisite A silent tongus
is essential No "tipplingn is permitted, as
things get mixed enough without the aid Of
liquor. A managing clerk in one Of the
larger offices told me that for years he had
been haunted by the small details of his dav'.
work, that even when he had escaped from
the realm Of debts and credits and gone 10
his modest fiat on the west side his brain con.
tinued working on some spectral problem
and repeating that nine and seven IS sixteen
and eight is twenty-four, etc. So it kept on,
night and day.
A days work consists of seven or eight
hours, though in the sl0,o case before al
luded TO the principal and fifteen assistants
labored ten hours day for the three months
The auditors office at Washington contains q
number OF skilled accountants some of whom
have rendered excellent service to the public.
But the persons whose names appear in the
lists Of railroad Off rials as auditors" are
usually such in name only. the real auditing
being done by some subordinate with an ex-
tensive knowleige of bookkeeping and q
diminutive salary. ALFRED ARSor.